1. Field of the Invention
Systems for, and methods of, providing, a user, during a playing of a video, information identifying the locale that is depicted in a video; explaining the plot or subplot significance of a scene or clip in the video; identifying the cinematic techniques utilized in a shot or clip; and providing information relating to a noteworthy item depicted in the video. The source of the information is provided by a map of the video. The map of the video may be provided by the source that provides the video or by a source other than the source that provides the video. A source of the video may be a hard format such as a DVD or Blu-ray disc, or a soft format that is broadcasted, narrow-casted, delivered on-demand, streamed, and/or downloaded by a variety of means such as over-the-air broadcast, cable, satellite, cellular, internet, and any other means of receiving content/data. The means for playing the video comprises any device capable of playing video such as, for example, an optical disc player, a personal computer, a set box, a multimedia player, gaming device, and/or smartphone.
2. Description of the Related Art
DVD-Videos released by the major motion picture studios conventionally store a full length motion picture encoded using the H.262/MPEG-2 Part 2 video technologies. DVDs generally provide scene selection and subtitles and/or closed captioning in a plurality of languages. Among other features, some DVDs include multiple camera angles for a scene, and the capability to play one of a plurality of different content versions (e.g. a director's cut or unrated version and an “R” rated versions). DVD capable devices, such as a DVD player, or a computer DVD drive with a software DVD player, require a DVD drive and a MPEG decoder. Such DVD devices provide for, among other features, fast-forward, fast-rewind, skip-forward or skip-backwards by chapters, turn on/off subtitles, subtitle and audio language selection, camera angle selection, and menu navigation to select, for example, multiple content versions.
While DVDs and Blu-rays provide many capabilities and functions exceeding those provided by, for example, conventional linear playback formats, optical disc playback devices do not provide, during the playing of a motion picture, information (e.g., a locale depicted within the video) that is readily accessible by a user. Such deficiencies are not addressed by, for example, the many sources that provide information, including the beginning and ending credits in a video, supplementary features and commentaries included with the motion picture, information in optical disc packaging, video listings, and a great variety of web sites, or the various sources that may provide information about a video. The rare inclusion in the video itself of information (e.g., the identification of a locale) fails to provide systematized information (e.g., an identification of the many locales depicted within the video) and access to related locale information.